‘Daily Show’ Executive Producer Leaving Stewart to Write NBC Sitcom

2010 was kind to Jon Stewart. The serious-or-not controversy that preceded the Rally to Restore Sanity led to endless press. Once it happened, Stewart found himself before a live audeince of hundreds of thousands of people, as well as millions watching on TV. Then, the aftermath led to more press, including some who claimed Stewart had finally deserved to be stripped of the “fake news” tag.

2011, however, begins with what could be a setback. Josh Lieb, executive producer at “The Daily Show” since 2006, is leaving to develop a workplace sitcom for Warner Bros. and NBC. Will this complete the trinity that began with “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” perhaps?

The move set off a shuffling of veteran writers and producers, while Stewart and Roy Albanese will stay on as executive producers.

Josh Lieb is the author of I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President, a young adult novel. He sold the film rights for the book in 2008.

More information, from the Comedy Central press release, is below.

NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2011

Veteran “Daily Show” staff members, Steve Bodow, Jennifer Flanz and Jim Margolis have been promoted to co-executive producers, Tim Carvell to head writer and Pam DePace to supervising producer, it was announced today by Jon Stewart, executive producer, writer and host of the program. After four successful years, Josh Lieb leaves his role as executive producer.

Bodow, Carvell, DePace, Flanz and Margolis have individually held lengthy posts at the critically-acclaimed series and worked together on various tent pole events including the show’s revered “Indecision” coverage of the midterm and Presidential elections resulting in week-long broadcasts on the road, live election night specials and, most recently, the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” in Washington, D.C. in October which drew over 250,000 people to the National Mall.

Bodow joined the show in 2002 and held positions as a writer (2002-2006), head writer (2007-2010) and supervising producer (2008-2010). Carvell began in 2004 as a writer (2004-2010). DePace started in 1996 and was a production manager (1996-2008) and line producer (2009-2010). Flanz joined in 1998 as a production assistant (1998-1999) and moved on to roles as an assistant production coordinator (1999-2000), production coordinator, (2000-2001), production manager (2001-2003), coordinating producer (2003-2007) and supervising producer (2007-2010). Margolis joined in 2001 as a field producer (2001-2005) and progressed to senior producer (2005-2006) and supervising producer (2006-2010).

Lieb heads to Los Angeles to pen a workplace comedy for Warner Brothers and NBC. He joined “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” in 2006 as co-executive producer and was an executive producer from 2009-2010. Lieb is the author of I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President, a satirical fantasy for teens, and one of the team contributors to the bestseller release, Earth (The Book), as an editor and writer.